I wasn't dissing you. I know Gail from way back (at least I think it's the same Gail)She would never solo anything that high anyway.

A couple years ago I was climbing Jackie and saw a woman soloing about 25-30 ft up on Belly roll. She was stopped and wasn't going up or down for a long time, maybe 5 minutes or more. I asked if she was all right and she indicated she was stuck up there. I climbed up and put some pieces in she could grab onto to to help her down-climb. She didn't need them. I think just seeing me climb down beside her helped her get her head back.

When I first climbed up to her to help she asked me: "Are you a guide?" I said "No, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night." Unfortunately, she had never seen the commercials.

She said her boyfriend told her to go out and solo some 5.4's to get her climbing head. Didn't work so well. We climbed a little while together. She was a very good climber.

Hah! Love it.

thats classic

Perry, It's me...

Are you doing much climbing these days? Let us know when you are coming to the gunks...come stay with us.

Gail

I found the ledges above the chimney/off-width were the harder grade. Maybe 5.5/5.6- at times. Keep in mind that those large ledges with gutsy moves from them are essentially ground falls with only one piece of pro 6 feet up and 40+ foot of rope out. Thankfully I climb a lot stronger than 5.4 so I went ahead anyway, but there's no doubt Belly Roll's a bit sandbaged like a lot of so-called 'easy' Gunks climbs.

I'm guessing the boyfriend was no more?..

That's got to be up there on the A-list of all-time stupid pieces of advice.

Guess he just didn't have the guts to break up with her in person.

Hah! That's a break-up technique I had never thought of.

Ain't that the truth. Just when you think you've heard it all...